Pump profiteers

HAVE you noticed petrol costs plummeting? No, nor have we.

There’s a worldwide glut of oil at the moment which means the wholesale price has been falling since April and the prices at the pump should be coming down just as quickly.

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But of course they are not.

As daily price comparisons across the country show, the retailers are being as slow as ever to pass on savings.

The margin between what they pay for fuel and what they charge motorists — usually around 8p a litre — is being kept artificially high and the retailers are currently pocketing a tidy 14p for every litre of petrol and 16p for diesel.

The RAC thinks forecourt owners are hoping drivers will fail to notice how much they are being ripped off.

Retailers bleat that they are facing increased costs for business rates, energy bills and wages.

But the same applies in Northern Ireland where pump prices are nearly 10p a litre lower because of competition from cheaper fuel in the Republic of Ireland.

Motorists should check comparison sites and shop around if possible.

But, like the RAC, we hope the Competition and Markets Authority is watching and will act soon to curb this pump profiteering.

Sense of duty

THE power of the Royal Family to give us all a boost was wonderfully evident at the weekend.

On Saturday, Princess Kate bravely returned to public engagements for Trooping the Colour in spite of her ongoing cancer treatment.

And yesterday her photo of Prince William with children George, Charlotte and Louis, and their heart-warming message to “Papa” on Father’s Day, was a smile-inducing delight.

The Prince of Wales’s tribute to his own dad, the King, was a picture of them sharing a kick-about 40 years ago.

This was equally uplifting, and particularly apt on the day England started their Euro 2024 football campaign.

The family have endured a difficult time of late, with the King and Kate’s cancer treatment.

But their sense of duty always shines through and makes us all feel better.

3 Lions’ hopes

TALKING of football, the wait is finally over for England who played their first match in the Euros last night.

However this tournament ends for Gareth Southgate and his men, at least they will give us all a distraction from the two things blighting our English summer: the terrible weather and the achingly dull General Election.

After that, bringing the trophy home would be a bonus!